Technical Abstract:
The heterothallic ascomycete Fusarium proliferatum (teleomorph Gibberella intermedia) is a genetically diverse biological and phylogenetic species with a worldwide distribution and an unusually broad host range. F. proliferatum is a frequent component of the Fusarium ear rot complexes of maize and wheat, and also causes diseases of plants as diverse as asparagus, garlic, reed, rice, and various palm species. F. proliferatum produces a strikingly wide range of mycotoxins and other biologically active metabolites, including fusaric acid, moniliformin, terpenoids (fusaproliferin), cyclic peptides (beauvericin and enniatins), and polyketides (bikaverin, fumonisins, fusarins). In addition to polyketide synthase (PKS) genes for these three metabolites, F. proliferatum contains a PKS for perithecial pigment, and at least seven additional PKS genes of unknown function. We have begun production of PKS gene-deletion mutants of F. proliferatum, starting with FUM1, the PKS gene required for the biosynthesis of carcinogenic fumonisin mycotoxins. Our objective is to determine the functions of fumonisins and other fungal metabolites in development and plant pathogenicity of F. proliferatum.